2006年VOA标准英语-Lobbying Scandal Sparks Reform Effort in C

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, D.C.
10 January 2006
 
view Lobby Reform report

The U.S. Congress is moving to reform the nation's lobbying laws in the wake of a Capitol Hill influence peddling¹ scandal that has already led to a guilty plea by once powerful lobbyist Jack² Abramoff and may yet lead to corruption³ charges against several lawmakers. VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports that lobbying involves huge financial interests, which many say need public oversight⁴ to remain in check.

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K Street in downtown Washington is sometimes referred to as America's fourth branch of government, because the headquarters of the nation's most influential⁵ lobbying firms are located here. Rent is expensive and the lobbyists themselves are well paid. Their fees represent a portion of the $2 billion spent each year by the lobbying industry. 

 

 
Alex Knott
  

Alex Knott of the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington watchdog group, says those who pay the expenses consider it money well spent.

"In long run, it works like a PR campaign, even if they don't get any legislative⁶ action. Let's take Lockheed Martin [Aerospace Company], for instance,” suggests Mr. Knott. “They've spent $54 million since 1998. Meanwhile, just from the Department of Defense⁷ between 1998 and 2003, they've received $94 billion, 74 percent of which were no-bid contracts. That goes a long way. Basically it equates⁸ to being pennies on the dollar."

 
Jack Abramoff 
  
Lobbyists represent a very broad spectrum⁹ of legitimate¹⁰ interests, from defense contractors¹¹ such as Lockheed Martin, to teachers and even beekeepers. They are hired for their ability to meet and persuade government officials to pass laws, award contracts, or reduce certain kinds of taxes on behalf of their clients.

However, lobbyist Jack Abramoff has admitted to bribing¹² public officials, which is a crime. He is expected to name the individuals who accepted the bribes¹³ as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors¹⁴ to reduce his upcoming prison sentence.
 

Fred Wertheimer   
  
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, an organization that promotes civic¹⁵ values, says such scandals are periodic occurrences in America. "When that happens, it's extremely important that those people are held accountable, that you get a new set of rules to address the problems,” he says. “When we do that, we bring the problems under control. But then the cycle begins again. People try to press the envelope, see how far they can go."

There are several reform proposals from both parties in Congress that address lobbying violations¹⁶ exposed by the Abramoff scandal. The reforms would mandate¹⁷ timely disclosure of contacts between lobbyists and public officials, ban congressional trips paid for by lobbyists, such as golf outings for lawmakers to Scotland, and lengthen¹⁸ the time former members of Congress must wait before becoming lobbyists themselves.

Alex Knott says additional disclosure would enhance a website that the Center for Public Integrity launched in April 2005 to oversee¹⁹ lobbyists.
 

U.S. Capitol   
  
"Basically, we take every public lobbying record filed since 1998 and put it forth²⁰ in a way that the public can easily understand. So if they want to understand everybody that lobbied every part of the federal government from the Department of Defense down to the Botanical Garden, they can get it," Mr. Knott told us.

The website, publicintegrity.org, also includes information about foreign organizations or companies from Albania to Zimbabwe that lobby the U.S. Government. China's Hong Kong Trade Development Council, for example, paid more than $5 million over a six-year period to five American lobbying firms. One of those firms was hired by 44 other organizations, including several U.S. pharmaceutical²¹ companies and the National Football League.

The right of companies and the people to lobby the government is protected by the First Amendment²² to the U.S. Constitution. The fact that Jack Abramoff abused the privilege does not mean it will taken away, but rather, that Congress will try to find a way to improve the system.

1 peddling   

忙于琐事的，无关紧要的

参考例句：

• He worked as a door-to-door salesman peddling cloths and brushes. 他的工作是上门推销抹布和刷子。
• "If he doesn't like peddling, why doesn't he practice law? "要是他不高兴卖柴火，干吗不当律师呢？

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

5 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

6 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 equates   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的第三人称单数 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• He equates success with material wealth. 他认为成功等同于物质财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This equates to increased and vigor, better sleep and sharper mental acuity. 也就是说可以起到增强活力，改善睡眠，提高心智的作用。 来自互联网

9 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

10 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

11 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 bribing   

贿赂

参考例句：

• He tried to escape by bribing the guard. 他企图贿赂警卫而逃走。
• Always a new way of bribing unknown and maybe nonexistent forces. 总是用诸如此类的新方法来讨好那不知名的、甚或根本不存在的魔力。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

13 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

14 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

15 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

16 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

17 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

18 lengthen   

vt.使伸长，延长

参考例句：

• He asked the tailor to lengthen his coat.他请裁缝把他的外衣放长些。
• The teacher told her to lengthen her paper out.老师让她把论文加长。

19 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

20 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

21 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

22 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。